Family Pack 2024 Parents Guide & Age Rating

Director: François Uzan

Writers: Céleste Balin, Hervé Marly, and François Uzan

Stars: Franck Dubosc, Suzanne Clément, and Jean Reno

Released Date: October 23, 2024 (United States)

Overview: Family Pack (Loups-garous) is a comedy-fantasy French adventure movie released on Netflix starring José Garcia and released by François Uzan, who is also the director of the popular TV series Lupin. The plot draws from the game that is commonly known as The Werewolves of Millers Hollow and is a mix of fantasy and intra-familial relations. With Franck Dubosc as Jérôme, Jean Reno as Gilbert, Lisa Do Couto Texeira as Clara, and others, this involves a blended family that finds itself caught in a very peculiar game where they need to fully identify and rout werewolves before the situation gets worse.

The story revolves around a family that is seeking to spend more time with each other after having been newly joined together as a family. To achieve this, they need to come closer, so they agree to play a board game that their father used when he was a kid. Still, this is not just any game – at the click of a button, they are magically transported to a medieval French village. Here they find that the town is infested with werewolves, who come out every night to attack the villagers. However, the question arises as to who are the werewolves since the latter look like normal people during the day. This breeds paranoia and anarchy and sometimes, even those who are innocent are arrested and punished.

Now, not only does the family have to survive in this dangerous environment, but they must also solve the question of who among them is hiding their werewolf identity. If they fail to relive death, they will remain trapped in the game for eternity, maybe even lose their family in the process.

Family Pack focuses more on its characters and their interactions. As the main character, the film concentrates on Jérôme, the father, and his distant relationship with his senile father, Gilbert. Once again, the man who has lost his memory is Gilbert, and for Jérôme, it feels as if he is losing his father before his very eyes. It appears that Gilbert has amnesiac episodes in which he forgets significant moments that were shared between them, making Jérôme aggrieved and annoyed. This subplot adds an emotional touch to the story, even though it doesn’t receive as much attention as it could.

The game in a way becomes a tool that ensures that the family members stay together and have to talk to each other. For instance, the eldest daughter, Clara, is granted the ability to become invisible but nobody can hear her talk when she is in the invisible state. As a result, her father, Jérôme, starts hearing thoughts, so the two have no choice but to adapt and change. This dynamic opens a window for them to come back to mutual trust and comprehension.

Another enjoyable concept that is best depicted in the movie is when the family comes together through the game. It is similar to rounds in the Werewolves of Millers Hollow board game where every player is assigned a special ability, the characters in the Family Pack also have specific powers assigned to them. All these powers not only assist them in the game but also assist in nurturing the culture of dependency on one another. For example, Clara narrates how her power of invisibility makes her feel like she isn’t being listened to (disregarded in the literal sense), while her dad, who has the power of mind-reading, notes that he is compelled to listen. Thus, the relation of the characters’ struggles to real-life experiences gives the film’s fantastic environment an important, not merely entertaining, aspect.

While the movie doesn’t place much emphasis on these emotional changes, it provides just enough to let the audience feel invested in the characters’ development.

On a visual front, Family Pack is quite effective in portraying the medieval setting of the events. The scenes of the village and the clothing and accessories of the present characters and actors are quite realistic for the period shown in the movie but the special effects that have been incorporated in the movie are not consistent in their quality. For instance, the werewolf transformations are among the most outstanding features in the movie. Some may not be as convincing, but they bring more thrill to the tale, and this is what matters.

However, the film never becomes too dark or scary, keeping its tone light enough for younger audiences. Even though there are moments of danger, they’re balanced with humor, making this a great family-friendly movie.

So, Family Pack may be compared to movies like Jumanji where the game comes to life and people become its prisoner. The second movie incorporates some fairy-tale aspects, but overall the concept of both movies seems to be rather playful than profound. The fact that the time setting of Family Pack is in medieval times gives the story a new and unique quality and the werewolf aspect of the movie keeps it interesting but does not turn it into a horror movie.

In particular, it is not all action-packed: there are nice comedic sequences in the movie. Humor is derived from the numerous quips made by the characters as well as the ridiculously absurd scenarios depicted in the show.

With François Uzan as the director, who has directed other television series as Lupin, one might have expected this show to have particular twists and turns. While the movie does not boast the intricacy of the Lupin or other mystery films, there are a couple of twists at the end. As for the plot itself, it is quite predictable most of the time and yet there are some twists to keep things interesting.

It is not a cinematic marvel by any stretch of the imagination but even fans of the original cartoon may find themselves questioning certain aspects of the film or needing to make logical leaps. It’s not an attempt at changing the face of the genre, but it delivers a good and enjoyable movie that I can watch with my family.

Final Thoughts:

Family Pack can be described as a blend of themes including fantasy, adventure, and comedy with the major theme being a family theme. The issue is that the emotional themes could be depicted even more but overall, the film is sufficient to evoke viewer’s empathy and interest in the characters’ evolution. The fact that the movie is set in medieval times, the idea of werewolves, and the family’s quest make it an entertaining film that can be viewed and enjoyed by a wide audience.

If you’re looking for something lighthearted with a bit of fantasy, Family Pack is a great choice for a family movie night. It may not be groundbreaking, but it’s an enjoyable, funny, and visually appealing film that leaves you with a smile.

Family Pack 2024 Parents Guide & Age Rating

Family Pack is not rated because it has not undergone the official rating process by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA).

Emily Johnson is a seasoned journalist and author dedicated to helping parents navigate the world of Hollywood entertainment through thoughtful, family-oriented film reviews. With over a decade of experience in writing and a passion for fostering safe, enriching viewing experiences, Stephanie launched movitrailer.com to provide parents with the insights they need to make informed choices for their families. Author Page

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